Preparation and application of polystyrene-grafted ZnO nanoparticles

The precursor of ZnO was prepared by precipitation and ZnO nanoparticles were obtained by calcination afterwards. Poly(styrene) (PSt) was grafted onto the ZnO nanoparticles in a non-aqueous suspension to reduce the aggregation among nanoparticles and to improve the compatibility between nanoparticles and the organic matter. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), zeta potential measurement, lipophilic degree (LD) test, photocatalytic experiments, sedimentation test, and contact angle measurement. The LD of composite particles after a high-temperature treatment was stable. The photoluminescence of PSt-grafted ZnO nanoparticles was observed by naked eyes and was recorded using a digital camera. The ZnO nanoparticles were used to reinforce poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films and the mechanical and electric properties of the films were also measured. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.